Sad day, tank wiped out within 48 hours

[Waterdeep]

I have a 32g nano tank, it had four fish. two orange storm clowns that I've had for 6 months. 1 midas blenny (4 months) and a flame angel (3 months). I quarantined everything for 4 weeks before adding to the display. I never noticed any illness while in QT. Two days ago I noticed my Midas blenny swimming vertically at the top of the tank. An inspection shown torn fins and a "Dusty" looking coating on this back and sides. One of his eyes were clouded over.

The next day the midas blenny was dead. I noticed the same on 1 clown and the angel, they died within 8 hours of this. 8 hours after my last clown passed.

I believe this is brooklynella, from all things i've read. Im just really confused on how it got into the tank and why I didn't catch it during quarantine? I monitor water parameters very closely. My nitrates are under 10ppm, phosphates are .02 ppm. Salinty 1.024-1.025. Tank has been fully cycled for about 8 months. I do bi weekly water changes on the display and weekly on the QT.

I really felt like I was doing everything by the book, taking the time to quarantine properly. This is super defeating. Over $500 in fish gone within days. (bought online /w shipping)

Any tips? The one thing I never did was medicate my quarantine tank. I monitored them daily and would treat if needed, but I never saw the need. What medication should I use as a precaution?

Thanks for reading

 

[Reefer Matt]

I have a 32g nano tank, it had four fish. two orange storm clowns that I've had for 6 months. 1 midas blenny (4 months) and a flame angel (3 months). I quarantined everything for 4 weeks before adding to the display. I never noticed any illness while in QT. Two days ago I noticed my Midas blenny swimming vertically at the top of the tank. An inspection shown torn fins and a "Dusty" looking coating on this back and sides. One of his eyes were clouded over.

The next day the midas blenny was dead. I noticed the same on 1 clown and the angel, they died within 8 hours of this. 8 hours after my last clown passed.

I believe this is brooklynella, from all things i've read. Im just really confused on how it got into the tank and why I didn't catch it during quarantine? I monitor water parameters very closely. My nitrates are under 10ppm, phosphates are .02 ppm. Salinty 1.024-1.025. Tank has been fully cycled for about 8 months. I do bi weekly water changes on the display and weekly on the QT.

I really felt like I was doing everything by the book, taking the time to quarantine properly. This is super defeating. Over $500 in fish gone within days. (bought online /w shipping)

Any tips? The one thing I never did was medicate my quarantine tank. I monitored them daily and would treat if needed, but I never saw the need. What medication should I use as a precaution?

Thanks for reading

Sorry to see this. I made a similar mistake with a parrotfish that was going into my fowlr. I didn’t medicate the qt tank and it broke out in velvet after I put it in the fowlr, killing three other big fish with it. I’m not a fish expert, but I learned that just because we can’t see a parasite, doesn’t mean it isn’t there. @Jay Hemdal and @vetteguy53081 should be able to help with a specific qt regimen. Again, I’m sorry for your loss.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I have a 32g nano tank, it had four fish. two orange storm clowns that I've had for 6 months. 1 midas blenny (4 months) and a flame angel (3 months). I quarantined everything for 4 weeks before adding to the display. I never noticed any illness while in QT. Two days ago I noticed my Midas blenny swimming vertically at the top of the tank. An inspection shown torn fins and a "Dusty" looking coating on this back and sides. One of his eyes were clouded over.

The next day the midas blenny was dead. I noticed the same on 1 clown and the angel, they died within 8 hours of this. 8 hours after my last clown passed.

I believe this is brooklynella, from all things i've read. Im just really confused on how it got into the tank and why I didn't catch it during quarantine? I monitor water parameters very closely. My nitrates are under 10ppm, phosphates are .02 ppm. Salinty 1.024-1.025. Tank has been fully cycled for about 8 months. I do bi weekly water changes on the display and weekly on the QT.

I really felt like I was doing everything by the book, taking the time to quarantine properly. This is super defeating. Over $500 in fish gone within days. (bought online /w shipping)

Any tips? The one thing I never did was medicate my quarantine tank. I monitored them daily and would treat if needed, but I never saw the need. What medication should I use as a precaution?

Thanks for reading

Sorry to hear. With fish being so expensive now days, loss like this is so tough!

If invertebrates were in the tank and lived through this all, it was almost certainly a fish disease.

Given the rapid loss of fish, I wonder if it was Amyloodinium, velvet? Did you see any rapid breathing in the fish before hey died? If so, it was probably that. Brooklynella usually hits the clownfish first, and creates sheets of mucus on their bodies, with rapid breathing being a later symptom.

Observational quarantine, like you did is always a mistake (except with certain fishes that cannot handle regular quarantine). It takes just as long as a proactive quarantine, yet does not proactively treat for any disease, and these can remain hidden as subacute infections for months on the fish, becoming acute later on as they did here.

I would suggest that you let your tank run fishless for at least 60 days and then, during that time, you can quarantine some new fish following this process (this is not 100% effective against every problem, but it does help a lot).

Current Quarantine Protocol

2023 Quarantine Procedures Jay Hemdal David Scarborough Protozoans (Cryptocaryon/ich, Amyloodinium/velvet) and Metazoan trematodes/flukes are by far the most common parasites found on newly acquired fish. A carefully managed quarantine process can effectively eliminate these parasites before...

www.reef2reef.com

Jay

 

[I never finish anythi]

Gutted for you mate . Can't answer Qt questions because I've never Qt . Stupid I know .
Hopefully you can get back on track . I'd leave fellow for few weeks

 

[Katrina71]

So sorry for your loss.

 

[kevgib67]

A gut punch for sure, sorry!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Any pics you can provide of fish you may have saved. I too suspect velvet and some signs would be elevated breathing, loss of appetite, swimming at surface or in path of water flow as examples

 

[NeedAReef]

did not see if you posted your equipment list but by chance is there a uv in the qt or is it just observation? what about meds in qt?

 

[MnFish1]

I have a 32g nano tank, it had four fish. two orange storm clowns that I've had for 6 months. 1 midas blenny (4 months) and a flame angel (3 months). I quarantined everything for 4 weeks before adding to the display. I never noticed any illness while in QT. Two days ago I noticed my Midas blenny swimming vertically at the top of the tank. An inspection shown torn fins and a "Dusty" looking coating on this back and sides. One of his eyes were clouded over.

The next day the midas blenny was dead. I noticed the same on 1 clown and the angel, they died within 8 hours of this. 8 hours after my last clown passed.

I believe this is brooklynella, from all things i've read. Im just really confused on how it got into the tank and why I didn't catch it during quarantine? I monitor water parameters very closely. My nitrates are under 10ppm, phosphates are .02 ppm. Salinty 1.024-1.025. Tank has been fully cycled for about 8 months. I do bi weekly water changes on the display and weekly on the QT.

I really felt like I was doing everything by the book, taking the time to quarantine properly. This is super defeating. Over $500 in fish gone within days. (bought online /w shipping)

Any tips? The one thing I never did was medicate my quarantine tank. I monitored them daily and would treat if needed, but I never saw the need. What medication should I use as a precaution?

Thanks for reading

I would consider velvet rather than broolynella. it could be your QT protocol was not correct - additionally the protocol usually used is copper followed by prazipro followed by 2 week observation. So sorry to hear. In any case I would leave your tank fallow for 8 - weeks. Hope this helps.

BTW - was there a breathing problem (fast breathing that you noticed or scratching or swimming into the flow, etc)?

EDIT - I agree - when I posted this no other posts were visible (agree with @vetteguy53081 and @Jay Hemdal )

 

[KandAReefs]

I have a 32g nano tank, it had four fish. two orange storm clowns that I've had for 6 months. 1 midas blenny (4 months) and a flame angel (3 months). I quarantined everything for 4 weeks before adding to the display. I never noticed any illness while in QT. Two days ago I noticed my Midas blenny swimming vertically at the top of the tank. An inspection shown torn fins and a "Dusty" looking coating on this back and sides. One of his eyes were clouded over.

The next day the midas blenny was dead. I noticed the same on 1 clown and the angel, they died within 8 hours of this. 8 hours after my last clown passed.

I believe this is brooklynella, from all things i've read. Im just really confused on how it got into the tank and why I didn't catch it during quarantine? I monitor water parameters very closely. My nitrates are under 10ppm, phosphates are .02 ppm. Salinty 1.024-1.025. Tank has been fully cycled for about 8 months. I do bi weekly water changes on the display and weekly on the QT.

I really felt like I was doing everything by the book, taking the time to quarantine properly. This is super defeating. Over $500 in fish gone within days. (bought online /w shipping)

Any tips? The one thing I never did was medicate my quarantine tank. I monitored them daily and would treat if needed, but I never saw the need. What medication should I use as a precaution?

Thanks for reading

Going to tell you how I do things in my tank although many will say I'm wrong but it has always worked for me. I don't QT any of my fish. I pick a reputable vendor hopefully one I can see the fish in person. I buy the fish bring them home and put them in the tank. Crazy I know but I do as little to stress the fish as possible. I run UV and ozone on the take to limit possible outbreak. As you have seen doing a QT doesn't always work and unless you are doing it for everything the coral CuC and anything from another tank I just don't see the point. For me the less stress on the fish and buying from a good vendor is the key. I alway assume my take has parasites. Sorry for your loss.

 

[Cthulukelele]

I know how hard it is to lose everything. I listed and delisted my tank on Craigslist 3x after my power outage crash 2ish years ago. All I can say is keep at it and you can still do this. Sorry for your loss.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Going to tell you how I do things in my tank although many will say I'm wrong but it has always worked for me. I don't QT any of my fish. I pick a reputable vendor hopefully one I can see the fish in person. I buy the fish bring them home and put them in the tank. Crazy I know but I do as little to stress the fish as possible. I run UV and ozone on the take to limit possible outbreak. As you have seen doing a QT doesn't always work and unless you are doing it for everything the coral CuC and anything from another tank I just don't see the point. For me the less stress on the fish and buying from a good vendor is the key. I alway assume my take has parasites. Sorry for your loss.

While I see your reasoning, especially when fish are shipped, there are risks with ph and ammonia build up and you want to assume the fish has something foreign and even do a 14 day qt or 60-90 minute bath
UV can at times be effective but mainly with free floating organisms

 

[MnFish1]

Going to tell you how I do things in my tank although many will say I'm wrong but it has always worked for me. I don't QT any of my fish. I pick a reputable vendor hopefully one I can see the fish in person. I buy the fish bring them home and put them in the tank. Crazy I know but I do as little to stress the fish as possible. I run UV and ozone on the take to limit possible outbreak. As you have seen doing a QT doesn't always work and unless you are doing it for everything the coral CuC and anything from another tank I just don't see the point. For me the less stress on the fish and buying from a good vendor is the key. I alway assume my take has parasites. Sorry for your loss.

I think the key is following a protocol. And many people do it for everything (I'm not saying that's right or wrong). As far as I know no one has adequately explained the reason that some people can do 'ich management' and some cannot. I have never heard of brooklynella or fluke or velvet 'management' . That said - I think your choices are reasonable. However, I would not be surprised for you to have an issue at some point in the future (hopefully not). As others have said - it's a bit like Russian Roulette. IMHO - one of the keys (yes - I'll say it again) - the stocking density and source of the fish is extremely important. When my tank was active, I hadn't added any fish for 5-6 years - simply because I didn't want to risk a disease - since like you I tended to use a non medicated QT method (my LFS did it - and observed the fish for up to a month before selling). IMHO - the major stress we are seeing now is shipping fish from internet vendors - at all temperatures and all times of the year as well. I always buy from an LFS.

 

[KandAReefs]

I think the key is following a protocol. And many people do it for everything (I'm not saying that's right or wrong). As far as I know no one has adequately explained the reason that some people can do 'ich management' and some cannot. I have never heard of brooklynella or fluke or velvet 'management' . That said - I think your choices are reasonable. However, I would not be surprised for you to have an issue at some point in the future (hopefully not). As others have said - it's a bit like Russian Roulette. IMHO - one of the keys (yes - I'll say it again) - the stocking density and source of the fish is extremely important. When my tank was active, I hadn't added any fish for 5-6 years - simply because I didn't want to risk a disease - since like you I tended to use a non medicated QT method (my LFS did it - and observed the fish for up to a month before selling). IMHO - the major stress we are seeing now is shipping fish from internet vendors - at all temperatures and all times of the year as well. I always buy from an LFS.

I have never gotten a fish online for myself. I have had my LFS sorce a fish and hold it for observation for me as I would rather pay a premium for it then go through the QT process myself.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

So sorry for your loss!